


Dark Moons

by poselikeateam



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Voldemort, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Character Turned Into Vampire, M/M, Marauders' Era, Mild Gore, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-15
Updated: 2017-03-18
Packaged: 2018-04-09 11:00:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4346003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poselikeateam/pseuds/poselikeateam
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Black matriarch had always been abusive to everyone she met, especially her eldest son; Sirius the blood traitor, Sirius the Muggle-lover, Sirius the disgrace. This time, though, she had gone too far, and while his friends might argue that any abuse was too far, Sirius knew to measure it based on what he could reasonably take without dying. The physical scars would fade, the mental scars he could hide, but surely his mother would never go as far as to kill him... That is, until she did.</p><p>Regulus will do anything to save his older brother, even if the only thing that will bring him from the brink of death is to change him, make him into something... other. Not all secrets can be hidden forever, but if anyone understands what it's like to be a monster, it's one Remus Lupin.</p><p>A Remus/Sirius vampire AU. There will be a happy ending.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hullo! This is my first time in a long time writing Harry Potter fanfic (and my first time writing any that I'd consider good). I hope you like this fic because I'm going to like writing it. I might be a while posting new content, or I might not, but I will almost definitely not be consistent. If you like it though, please bear with me! I'm probably much better at writing actual stories than I am at writing notes for them.

The Black matriarch had always been abusive to everyone she met, especially her youngest son; Sirius the blood traitor, Sirius the Muggle-lover, Sirius the disgrace. This time, though, she had gone too far, and while his friends might argue that any abuse was too far, Sirius knew to measure it based on what he could reasonably take without dying. The physical scars would fade, the mental scars he could hide, but surely his mother would never go as far as to kill him.

He was wrong on that count. They'd had a row, nastier than any they'd ever had, and something about that night - maybe his mother was too drunk off the family's wine stores, which she often dipped onto because it was so bloody difficult being a hateful, judgmental, spiteful cow - but that night, something had finally snapped, had finally pushed her too far. 

Really, he should be impressed that she could work magic at all, drunk with rage and vintage though she was, but before he could think to cast Protego, she had cursed him. It was something he didn't recognise, but all he felt was a flash of pain and a wetness of some sort, and he barely had time to reach up to his bleeding throat before the world swam around him. 

His senses were dulled, and everything was black; he thought he heard a distant voice telling him to _wake up, for Merlin's sake Sirius, bloody wake up,_ but he was swimming into a darkness so incomprehensibly deep that he was sure he would never make his way out.

It was only later, after he did wake, that he found out that he did hear a voice begging him not to die. He and Regulus hadn't ever gotten along, but they weren't quite enemies. Their ideals weren't the same, there was more rivalry than even most siblings had, but they had a common enemy in their mother. While she usually treated Regulus almost like a human being, he hated her all the same, though mostly for the way she treated both Sirius and Kreacher. As much as he pretended to hate him around their mother, Sirius was his elder brother, and Regulus' love for him wasn't lost, even though his hotheaded brother had none of that Slytherin cunning and all of that misplaced Gryffindor bravado and pride that kept him from just pretending to kiss up to Mother to make his own life easier. Perhaps if he had, though…

When Sirius awoke, the dim candlelight nearly blinded him. He grimaced, and realised that something was very, very off. Everything was so sharp in the darkness, and he could smell... Merlin, he could smell everything, the wood floors so musty and the dust so sharp and... something else, that he couldn't quite place--

"All right, Sirius?" he heard, and he tried to chance a peek through his fingers. The voice was so loud, though he barely spoke above a murmur. It was Regulus, looking haggard by his bedside.

It took a moment, but the elder Black found his voice. "What..." The word stung like a knife, like the curse that slashed his throat-- his eyes grew wide and he immediately shut them against the dim light. "Regulus, what's happened to me?" 

There was an uncomfortable silence. "Mother..." Regulus spat the word like it was a curse of its own, "I... By the stars, Sirius, where to begin?"

"Where, indeed?" Sirius whispered, swallowing uncomfortably. 

It turned out that Regulus, hell-bent on saving his older brother's life, had sent a Floo message to an old friend, someone who owed him a favour, begging to redeem it immediately. His hands were bloody, spells slowing the clock that was ticking down on Sirius' life but unable to save him without doing something drastic. He couldn't lose his brother, not like this, not ever; it was his job to protect him, for Merlin's sake, why hadn't he done better? There was no option now. 

Sirius' horror grew at each passing word, whispered like the devil's confession. The dryness in his throat was not only from having it slashed open, but from an aching need; that was the smell, the needles in his throat, in his veins, the thing that made him ache with desire. 

"You had me turned into a bloody vampire?!" Sirius wanted to scream, but could manage no more than a hoarse whisper.

"It was the only way," Regulus murmured, sounding half-deranged. "I couldn't let you die, couldn't lose you, not like this; we've never been particularly close but Sirius, you're my brother, I love you, I couldn't do nothing..."

“Yes you bloody well could have!” Sirius spat, and he could have sworn he actually saw Regulus flinch at his anger. It melted away at that, and he covered his eyes again and whispered, “What have you done to me?”

“Does it hurt?” his brother asked after a moment, clearly trying to change the subject. “Any of it, I mean. I… want to help--”

“I think you’ve helped enough!” was Sirius’ retort, but there was no bite to it, and that made Regulus more guilty than his anger ever could have.

“Sirius, please. I need to know how you’re feeling. For better or worse, you’re… you’re like this, now, and you need to adjust. I’m not going to leave you to muddle through this alone, or to neglect your needs -- which I know you’d well do, don’t give me that look -- but I can’t help you if you won’t let me.”

There was a pause, while Sirius judged his options -- all one of them, he thought bitterly -- and finally, he answered. “Everything’s… different. I mean, obviously it would be, but…” He ran a hand through his messy, tangled hair, frustrated with his situation and himself. “The room feels so bright, hurts my eyes, but there’s just that one sodding candle! I can smell everything so sharply, and…” 

“And?” Regulus prompted when Sirius paused for too long.

“The pain,” he finally whispered.

“Where?”

“Everywhere! My whole body… feels changed. Is changed, I suppose, but I can feel it and my bones are aching, my head is pounding, and my… my throat.” He swallowed, albeit painfully. “Like it’s full of knives. Poison. Not just where the cut was, but inside. It burns, Regulus.” 

The younger sighed. It hurt to hear his brother so desperate, so pained. “I’ve got a solution. You know what it’ll be, and I know you won’t like it, but it’s the only thing.”

“Blood,” Sirius murmured hoarsely, unable to look at anything but his lap in the dim (bright, agonising) candlelight. Regulus nodded, but Sirius didn’t have to see it to know he was right. “I can’t--” but even as he began to protest, the pain inside him mounted. He grit his teeth (Merlin, there were fangs there; he expected it, but he couldn’t accept it) and asked, “from where?”

“I can’t tell you, not until you drink it; you’ll just have to trust me for now.”

“Bloody hell, Regulus! What, did you get it from some poor, unsuspecting Muggle? How can I trust you when you won’t even tell me where you got it?!” Sirius was looking at his brother now, glaring. 

There was a pause, and Regulus took out his wand. Sirius flinched for a moment before he saw him point the wand over his heart and say, as clearly as possible, “I, Regulus Arcturus Black, do solemnly swear that the blood I intend to give to my brother Sirius was procured from a willing source, with the full knowledge and consent of the donating party.” Sirius could only stare; he hadn’t expected a bloody Wizard’s Oath.

Begrudgingly, Sirius accepted the Oath as well as the blood and the terms under which he was to consume it. For the purpose of safety, it would only be uncorked after Regulus left the room and locked the door. There were three large phials of the stuff -- enough, Regulus assured him, to properly complete his first feeding. Though Sirius blanched at the word, at the whole bloody concept of it all, he offered no protests.

The first drops to touch his tongue were heaven, and he never wanted to stop. His vision blurred, coherent thought left him, and the pain began to subside. Sirius felt a tingling spread through his body, a surge of raw energy piercing his veins. It was addictive, surreal, and he tried to coax every drop out of the phials without realising that he was doing it. 

On the other side of the door, Regulus drank a Blood Replenishing Potion. They could talk about this more when the next evening struck.


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A commenter pointed out to me that I'd ignored canon and switched Regulus' and Sirius' ages without explaining my reasoning. Simply put, I'd thought it would be strange if Regulus was at Hogwarts while all of this was going on, and decided to make him the older brother (since I was already changing so much, it seemed minor at the time). However, I thought about it, and then I talked with my beta, and we both decided there would be a lot more potential to the story if we'd kept Regulus as the younger brother and, therefore, at Hogwarts. 
> 
> So to anyone who read the prologue before, well, now, I changed it, and from this point forward Regulus is going to be the younger brother, as he is in canon. Also, sorry this took so long. I had a lot going on (learning a third language takes a lot out of you, surprisingly). Thanks for bearing with me!

By time their school lists had come, Sirius found himself looking at the bright side of things a bit more. Things were going well, he thought. Better, at least. Over the rest of the summer holidays, Sirius had had the chance to grow into his new state of being. If he was feeling fortunate about any of this, it was the fact that he had been murdered so early on during the hols. 

Most of the time, he tried not to think about it; however, that was a bit difficult with all that he had to learn and get used to. Most of it he had learnt through Regulus; neither of them thought it would be a good idea for Sirius to interact with the one who had brought him into this life. There was, admittedly, a lot to learn, and while Sirius had never been the best student, he had always been good in situations of life or death. (At least the undead could crack jokes. Maybe this wouldn't be such a dreary existence after all.)

For starters, it was nice to know that he'd be able to keep his magic. The idea that vampires lost their magic had only gained clout because many vampires had been Muggles in their previous lives, and thus had no magic to begin with. In fact, vampires could apparently gain certain types of magic.

The most important was their glamour. It allowed a vampire to appear human and blend in with humans if they chose to. This was perfect for Sirius, who insisted on finishing up at Hogwarts. It was almost like his Animagus transformation: he thought about changing his features, and it happened. It was difficult at first, of course, but he'd mastered it more quickly than Regulus had thought he would. 

_The perks of being an illegal Animagus,_ he thought drily. He was still debating whether or not to tell his brother that bit. Sirius knew that he had to know as much as possible about this “condition” of his so he didn’t muck it up, and he wasn’t sure how many vampire Animagi there were in the first place, let alone the availability of any information about it. On the one hand, Regulus was the one teaching him, and they’d gained some mutual respect from this arrangement; on the other, he still didn’t quite trust the little snake. 

He thought, perhaps, that he could research the effects of vampirism on Animagi, but he didn’t even know where to start. Remus was the best at research out of all of them, but asking for his help would be difficult without divulging his secret. After all, Sirius was about as subtle as a brick through the window of an old folks’ home, and he was willing to admit that. For now, he decided, it was best to focus on what he could learn, and try to figure the rest out through experience.

It turned out that Sirius would have to feed, at the very least, every few days -- three days, Regulus had said, to be safe -- but his brother assured him that he wouldn’t need that much, and would always have a ready supply of blood owled to him. Sirius was absolutely furious when he found out that Regulus was his anonymous donor, of course ("You complete and utter fucking git, what if I get a taste for it?! What if I can't stop myself?!") but he was finally assured that it would be a non-issue, as long as he took it from the phials rather than the source (“And really, how else do you expect me to get this? I haven’t graduated to Muggle murder quite yet, and I’m not asking Bella’s help -- don’t give me that look, I was kidding about the Muggle thing!”).

Sirius was very sternly warned about feeding from the source. There were consequences, and not just the ones one might expect. He could kill someone, turn them; that was to be expected, was at least vaguely obvious. However, what was more terrifying was what would happen if he didn't kill them. He could become addicted to them, and that presented a whole host of dangers in and of itself. Sirius really did not want to contemplate the possibilities. 

By the end of it, Sirius realised that being a vampire had the potential to be, well, not so bad. On top of his glamour, there were charms to block the sunlight, and he could change his sleep schedule with a little effort. The biggest and most difficult change would be feeding, but he supposed he could get used to that. After all, he did have a willing donor; he was doing no harm. All in all, Regulus assured him, it was possible that he could finish his education -- maybe even go through the rest of his life -- without telling a soul. "Good," murmured Sirius when he'd been given the news. He planned on doing exactly that.

Summer soon faded into fall and the brothers Black found themselves boarding the Hogwarts Express again before they knew it. They had spent time getting Sirius re-acclimated to human interaction beyond his brother, but they both knew that this was going to be the biggest test. 

Though Sirius didn’t want to alert anyone to the possibility of a change, they both agreed that it would be best if they rode in the same compartment. They had discussed it very seriously, and it was important for Regulus to be there just in case. He couldn’t be with Sirius all the time, but for his first major foray into public life after his change, it was best if he had someone to watch out for him. Peter had tried to comment on Regulus’ presence, but the speed and ferocity with which Sirius told him, “Leave it,” was enough to keep all the Marauders quiet about the issue for the rest of the trip.

School was relatively normal; as normal as it could be for a disgraced (and now undead) Heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black. Sirius was getting through each day as best as he could, as normally as he could, but there was no doubt that things had changed, and all the Marauders could see it. The problem was that none of them had any clue how to breach the subject with Sirius, especially after his outburst on the train.

He'd been spending a lot more time around his skeevy little brother, and that in and of itself was enough to worry his friends. Sirius had always made no secret of his hatred for his family and for Slytherin House, and Regulus was part of both of those. However, one could almost say the two of them had grown somewhat close over the summer hols, and that worried the hell out of Sirius' friends.

It was, predictably enough, James who confronted him first.


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so, so sorry that it took so long to get this chapter up. Things have been hectic, but I'll spare you the details and get straight to the story. Next update shouldn't take nearly as long - I'm hoping a few weeks at the most. Thank you so much for your patience, and sorry again!

Things had been going fine. Really. Sirius almost never thought about his condition anymore, except when he had to feed, but he was working on it. He and Regulus worked out a system. Regulus would brew or buy blood replenishing potions every month (Sirius joked about him replenishing his replenishing supply once, and the glare he got in return almost made him feel like things were normal again). Then, once every few days he would carefully bleed himself into a glass vial. He would then mail that vial to his brother, and during breakfast time, Sirius would take the small brown packages from the owl and slip them into his robe pockets until he could get back to his common room, or to a restroom -- anywhere he could be alone to safely drink what was inside without putting anyone in danger. The vials were charmed to be spill-proof and unbreakable, and preservation charms were placed on them so that their contents wouldn't go bad before he was able to drink them.

His friends, of course, would try to pry into his packages, wondering why some mysterious stranger was suddenly sending him packages every few days. It couldn’t be his family, as they seemed to hate him almost as much as he hated them; family friends were thus also out of the question. They would pry, but his lips were sealed tighter than a Gringotts vault. He resolutely kept it to himself, almost snapping at his friends on occasion. It wasn’t right, he knew, but they just couldn’t find out. 

It came as no surprise to him that they were determined to find out anyway. They had no idea what they were trying to learn, but there was something different about their friend (of course there was, he thought with a snort) and they felt as though it was their duty to help him through whatever this was. It had to be something bad, they reasoned, because otherwise he would tell them, or give them some kind of hint, or at least smile more. It had been ages since they had seen him smile.

If anyone was asked, they might not be able to say who was the most worried of the three. Everyone at Hogwarts noticed the Marauders' subdued attitudes, the sullen expressions and anxious glances they sent their usually boisterous friend. Even those who hated their pranks and shenanigans were starting to worry, if only a little.

In the end, the three of them had a Marauders Meeting, when Sirius was off meeting with his skeevy little brother for Merlin-knew-what. They holed up in their dorm, talking in hushed whispers, and finally decided that something needed to be done. They delegated James to talk to him first - the two were thick as thieves, after all - and after a few more days of watching and waiting, he did. It was a warm, bright Sunday afternoon, and most of the other students were outside enjoying the weather. Sirius was cooped up inside (very unlike him), sitting far away from the windows in the common room and reading something, taking notes in the margins. James tried to get a good look at what it was, but Sirius must have noticed him, because he shut the book before James could get a closer look. 

The Potter heir sat down next to his best friend, who he noticed wouldn't meet his eyes. "Pads, mate," James said in _that voice_ , the one that said he was concerned and trying to be gentle, but trying not to show it, like he'd scare Sirius away or something. Sometimes, Sirius wanted to smack the speccy git upside the head and remind him which one of them was the deer, that he wasn't some skittish mutt; however, this time, like all the others, Sirius gritted his teeth, an imperceptible tightening of the jaw, and resigned himself to listening.

"You're my best mate," James told him, putting a hand on his shoulder and giving him a worried frown when he stiffened under his friend's touch. "You're my best mate," he repeated, "and I know when something's off. I know you'll say it's none of my business, but it is. You're like a brother to me, Pads."

"James," Sirius said tightly, and the other knew something was wrong because Sirius almost _never_ used his name like that, "you are a brother to me, but brothers don't tell each other everything--"

"Bollocks!" James retorted sharply. "Maybe not, but you and I? We share _everything_ , Sirius." And there it was, the use of his first name that meant James was not backing down any time soon. "We share everything down to bloody _bowel movements_ , and now you're going to sit there after acting off for _weeks_ and tell me that suddenly we have bloody _secrets_!?" 

“Damn it, would you just listen to me? You don’t need to know everything!”

“I do when my best mate’s been acting like someone’s bloody _died_ \--”

“Someone _has_ bloody died, you great ponce!” Sirius glared at him, and James could have sworn that he had seen a flash of red in those eyes. 

Both of them were silent for a moment. James, for his part, didn’t quite know what to say. “Why didn’t you just tell us?” he finally asked. “We could have helped. Who was it?”

“It’s… complicated. I don’t… it’s not important.” Sirius looked down at his hands.

“It must be, if it’s got you acting like this,” James started, but Sirius wasn’t having it.

“Look, Prongs,” he said, and there they were, on even ground again, “I know you all care, and I appreciate that. I can’t imagine this has been particularly easy on any of you, but it’s been a bit of a nightmare for me. I don’t want anyone knowing. I’m not… I don’t want to be treated any differently, and I definitely don’t want to talk about it.” He sighed. “I’m not going through this alone. My brother is helping, if you can believe it. I can barely believe it. We’re… closer, now, and I don’t really know how I feel about anything but for now, I just need you all to stay out of it. I promise I’ll be fine, but you need to trust me to know, just this once, what’s best for myself. Okay?”

“It’s just, you’re worrying us, Pads,” James said, running a hand through his messy hair.

“I know, and I’m sorry.” Sirius sighed. "Look, Prongs, don't worry. I have some things to sort out, but trust me when I say that once that's done, I will absolutely shenan again." 

At that, James couldn’t help it - he broke out into a huge grin. It was nice to have his friend back, if only a little. 

“Alright, alright,” he said. “What do you want me to tell the boys, then?”

“Just that I’m fine. Or, I will be,” Sirius corrected himself. “Maybe to lay off me about my brother.”

James sighed. “Yeah. Sorry about that.”

“It’s fine.”

After a moment, James said, “So… d’you want to go outside? We can try to massage the giant squid again.”

Sirius snorted. “I’d love to, Prongs, but…” It was his turn to run a hand through his hair. “I really, really wish I could…”

“It’s alright, mate,” James said. He didn’t understand, still, but he knew that he needed to help his friend through whatever this was. That was what mattered most. “Exploding Snap?”

Sirius broke out into a grin. “You’re foal-ish to challenge me.”

When James smacked him, they both felt a little better.


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a switch-up, this chapter is from Regulus' POV. Hopefully it answers some questions about the night Sirius turned. Next chapter will probably be Remus-centric, and hopefully uploaded before my birthday. (I'm turning 21 on July 6! Turn up!)
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy, and thanks to everyone who's commented so far! You make this whole process so worthwhile.

To say Regulus was worried would be... an understatement. Well, even calling it an "understatement" was an understatement, in and of itself. Should he have done what he did? Probably not. Maybe. He wasn't sure. It was all very grey to him - everything he did, it seemed, was out of necessity. He put up with his parents - kissed up to them, really - out of necessity. He pretended to adhere to their ideals out of necessity. He acted the part of the perfectly obedient Pureblood son out of necessity. Saving Sirius was no different - it was a necessity. 

It wasn't easy, to be sure. There was a lot that went into it. He called in a family favour he wasn't even supposed to know about from a rather influential vampire. That, in and of itself, wasn't so bad, he supposed. His father couldn't use it, now, but there was no telling what Orion would have used that favour for, and it was more likely than not better that he couldn't, now. 

Everything else, though? Really fucking morally grey. He sighed, scribbling in the margins of his Potions book - Slughorn wouldn't care; Regulus was not only best in his year, but a Slytherin, and member of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. He didn't really need to pay attention, and had far more to think about. 

His brother was a reckless, stupid, careless Gryffindor fool with no sense of self-preservation, strategy, or family duty, but Sirius was still his brother, and brother or not he didn't deserve to die. Especially not like that, at the hands of his own mother.

Regulus had knocked his mother out as soon as he saw the blood. He didn't think - he just rammed his shoulder into her, pushing her aside, and Stunned her. A quick Ennervate would help her, but it wouldn't be near enough to help his brother. He shuddered as he remembered all the blood, on his hands, his robes, the floor. He screamed for Kreacher, voice hoarse and terrified as he begged his brother to just _hold on_. Kreacher appeared, wielding a frying pan, and it would have been comical if the only family member Regulus could stand wasn't bleeding to death in his arms. 

"Kreacher," he ordered, "save him!" 

"Kreacher cannot heal the young master," the elf said after a moment that was far too long. "The Dark Magics was used on him, Master Regulus."

"I don't care," Regulus said, harsher than he had ever been with the poor, old elf. "You will do whatever it takes, do you hear me? That's a bloody order!" 

Kreacher was shocked at Regulus' brusque order; he had never been so harsh with the elf before, and certainly never swore around him. However, he could not disobey - and would never disobey Regulus, even if he could. "The Master has a friend," Kreacher said. "Owes Master a favour, he does. Kreacher heard Master saying so."

Regulus had heard it too. He was young, but he remembered. "Do it," he said with conviction. "I know what you're suggesting, and I'm ordering you to do it. Floo him."

It was just as frightening to have that man in his house this time as it had been before. His smile was all sharp teeth and no mirth. He was born of death and married to unnecessary cruelty. Regulus would rather invite a Dementor for tea. 

Still, he did what he had to do. The debt was repaid, and his brother was safe. However... there was still more to do. Once Kreacher had Sirius safely in his bed, Regulus got to work. 

" _Ennervate_ ," he said, pointing his wand at his mother. He Obliviated her with a flick of his wand; she wouldn't remember what happened tonight, and she would attribute that to the alcohol. Pathetic woman. Then, with a deep breath, a surprisingly steady hand, and a heart full of conviction, he said, " _Imperio._

She didn't even try to fight it. Pathetic. Looking at her, he was filled with disgust. She had killed her eldest son. She didn't even deserve this mercy. Shaking his head, he pushed away those thoughts. It would not do to focus on anything but his task. "Stand up," he said. She obeyed. 

It took him a moment to think of what to do. 

"You are going to go upstairs and Obliviate your husband. Make him forget about the vampire and his favour. Then, you will convince him to spend the rest of the summer away from the house. Looking back, you will remember this as your idea. You will want to stay there." 

It was surprisingly easy how well it worked. Perhaps she was particularly impressionable, or already wanted to spend some time away from home. Perhaps the wine made her more succeptible to curses. Whatever the case, it worked for him. It would just be he and Sirius all summer long, and his parents would be none the wiser. They would not know what their eldest son had become. 

They never really paid much attention to their children anyway.

***

Regulus shook himself from his reverie when he saw everyone packing up their books and leaving the classroom. Things hadn't been easy since then, but the brothers Black were getting by. Sirius' self-control was exemplary for a new vampire, though his new condition did make him rather melancholy. Still, it was better than the alternative, and Regulus felt no guilt. 

They would have to do something about his friends, though - those "Marauders". Regulus privately thought their little group nickname was a bit of a joke, but you wouldn't catch him saying so. He stayed out of all his brother's affairs, no matter what he thought. It was just... better, this way. It was better for both of them. Still, those three didn't trust him, and he knew that. And really, it was a bit insulting. What had he ever done? He was a Slytherin and a Black, and he supposed that was enough. It wouldn't bother him - didn't, in fact - but they were getting nosy, overstepping their bounds. Sirius didn't want his friends to know, and Regulus more than respected that. He'd want to keep it a secret too. However, between Sirius' dark mood and Regulus' involvement, he knew they weren't going to let it go any time soon.

And, speak of the Devil, there they were, waiting for him outside his Potions class. Creepy. Still, it wasn't though he didn't expect it. 

"Can I help you gents?" he said, crossing his arms like he wasn't being ganged up on by three older Gryffindor boys. To be fair, he thought, sizing them up, he could probably take them. He fingered the wand that was subtly attached to his forearm and hoped it wouldn't come to that. 

There was a pause as the Potter heir frowned at him, as if trying to figure out just what was in front of him. It was a little insulting, truth be told. "Who died?" he asked, finally, and that was honestly the last thing that Regulus had expected to hear.

"James," one of them - Remus? Yes, that was his name - hissed. He turned to Regulus. "I'm sorry."

"I'm not!" James said. "Our best mate has been acting like a completely different person! He never goes outside anymore, he barely sleeps, someone's been sending him strange packages - I still say he's bloody cursed!"

" _James_ ," Remus said again, this time much more sharply. "Enough." 

There was silence, and then Remus turned to Regulus again. "James is right, mostly. Sirius has been... not himself, lately. Depressed. I--" he stopped, seeming troubled. "I'm worried for him. We all are. James confronted him - tactfully, I'm sure," Regulus snorted at the thick layer of irony in his tone, "and he said that someone had died. We want to help him, but... he won't tell us anything."

"Have you considered that it's none of your business?" Regulus drawled. 

"Have _you_ considered that we're more family to him than you are, you little toad?" James snapped. Well. That one stung a bit. 

"If you're so close, I'm sure he'll tell you all about it," Regulus said, leaning against the dungeon wall behind him. James looked like he was going to retort, but Remus stepped in. "James, this isn't helping anyone and you know it," he said quietly, but of course Regulus could still hear him. "You promised you'd be civil. Since you can't do that, I think you should go. Check on Sirius. See if he's any better."

He couldn't make out James' answer (and frankly, he didn't care), but after a hushed argument, both James and the fat, rodent-like boy (Parker? Preston? No, it was Peter) turned and stalked away. 

Remus came closer, and Regulus was admittedly uncomfortable. Despite his calm demeanour and level-headedness, there was something about this boy that put him on edge. Perhaps it was the fact that he was one of those Marauders of Sirius'. 

"Look, James is hotheaded, but he's right. We all care immensely about Sirius. We truly just want to help him. If there's anything you can say that will help us help him, please tell us."

Regulus ran a hand through his hair. "Look, I wasn't just saying things out of anger either. You know things happened this summer. Past that, I can't say. It's his business, and I won't share it. It won't help him. We're handling it." Remus looked skeptical, so before he could argue, Regulus said, "I mean it. If he wants you to know, he'll tell you. He and I are dealing with it. He doesn't _want_ to talk about it. And honestly? When we do talk, all I hear is how frustrated he is with you lot, how he wishes you'd leave him alone, treat him like normal even if he isn't acting it. If you really care about my brother as much as you say, you owe him that." And with that, Regulus turned on his heel and stalked off.


	5. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to make up for how long it took me to start updating again, so here's another chapter, in Remus' POV as promised. And hey, if you like this fic (and it seems like quite a few people do), maybe you'd want to check out my other fic, In Theory, and tell me what you think. It'd mean a lot. Thanks again for reading!

Remus was not having a good school year. Usually, he loved going back to Hogwarts. He loved attending classes, learning, exploring the grounds; but most of all, he loved seeing his friends. He loved being with the only people who treated him like anyone else, who trusted and loved him unconditionally, despite his own condition. He loved them, and it hurt him to see any of them upset.

That was why it hurt him so much to see Sirius acting nothing like the person he had come to know. Sirius wasn't just upset - he was a _wreck_. He was pale, twitchy, and thin; he never went out anymore, or participated in _anything_. He barely slept or ate, and he didn't talk or joke like he'd used to. It was almost as if he wasn't Sirius anymore.

If Remus didn't know any better, he'd think that his friend had... Changed, with a capital C. Like him. But Sirius was still with them during the full moon - the only time he was at all normal. And during those times, he was so normal, it was scary. Running, barking, laughing, giving Remus the same smiles and reassurances. He kept thinking that he had his Sirius back, but afterwards, when he was all cared for and had nothing to show for it but some aches and bruises and a new scar or two, Sirius would retreat again. It wasn't normal. It wasn't like him. It wasn't right.

It had been weeks, and he kept replaying that short conversation with Regulus over in his head. _"He doesn't want to talk about it. And honestly? When we do talk, all I hear is how frustrated he is with you lot, how he wishes you'd leave him alone, treat him like normal even if he isn't acting it. If you really care about my brother as much as you say, you owe him that."_

Merlin, they'd been trying. It was hard, but they were acting as normal as they possibly could. They were pretending everything was okay, that Sirius wasn't acting like another person, that--

It hit him, just then; both figuratively and literally, as the balled up parchment he'd been tossing up and catching fell on his nose. He sat up from the reclining position he'd been in on his bed. He knew Sirius, maybe better than Sirius knew himself. He didn't want everyone to act normal, but he didn't want them to pity him. They'd been doing everything wrong, and it was so fucking simple. 

With determination, he stood up and walked over to his friend's bed, throwing open the curtain. As expected, Sirius was just laying there, eyes open, staring at the ceiling. Well, he had been. He seemed to be rather startled at Remus tearing his bed open in the middle of the night. 

Remus, for his part, didn't falter. He sat down on Sirius' bed purposefully and cast a silencing bubble around them - it wouldn't do to wake the others, and this was between the two of them, anyway. 

"Sirius," he said, taking hold of his friend's hand (Sirius flinched a little, but kept it there), "We need to talk. Or rather, I need to talk, and you need to listen, and then we both need to talk, maybe, if you're feeling like it." Well. That wasn't as smooth as he'd hoped, but Sirius quirked an eyebrow so at least he was listeing. 

"You are immensely important to all of us, and something's happened. I don't care what - I mean, I do, because it's been seriously affecting you, but I don't because, I Don't know, that's the sentiment I'm trying to convey. It doesn't matter what happened, just that something's happened and you're different now." Sirius stiffened again, and Remus frowned. 

"You don't have to tell me about it, Pads. You don't have to tell any of us. But we're not going to just... pretend that everything is all fine when we all know that it's absolutely not. You don't need that and frankly, it's quite patronising. I just want you to know that I'm here for you. We all are, but I can only speak with absolute surety for myself. I'm here for you. I'll listen if you need it, I'll distract you if you need it, I'll tear the moon out of the sky if you need it." 

Sirius' eyes widened a bit. "That's what I said to you..."

"When you found out about my 'furry little problem', yes," Remus replied. "And it's true. I'll listen, I'll distract you, I'll pull down the moon, but I will not let you deal with this alone."

He couldn't say much more when he had an armload of Sirius and a face full of Sirius' hair. Chuckling softly, he hugged back. "You don't have to talk about it, but for Merlin's sake, don't try to carry this burden alone."

"Yeah," Sirius said, voice choked with emotion.

Remus, for his part, pretended not to notice the tears soaking his pyjamas. He just patted his friend on the back and whispered nonsense to him until finally, for what seemed like the first time in ages, they both fell into a peaceful sleep.


	6. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have honestly been wanting to get to this part for so long. The forest scene was the first part I actually wrote of this whole story. Everything is probably going to be moving a lot faster from here on.

When Sirius woke up, his face was crusty with dried tears and Remus' heartbeat played in his ears, vibrating through his bones. It was comforting.

Sirius was honestly feeling pretty good about himself. He was still able to shift into his Animagus form, which was an immense relief. If he hadn't been able to, he didn't know what he would have done, or said; he especially didn't know how he would have felt. Maybe like a part of him had been torn away, more than he already did, but he definitely would have felt like a monster more for leaving Remus alone during his transformations.

Well, that wasn't true. Remus wouldn't have been alone - he had Peter and James, after all - but at the same time, Sirius knew that losing the support of one of his friends during the full moon would have made him feel devastated and abandoned, though he likely wouldn't say so.

Still, Sirius was able to turn into a shaggy black dog, and he'd already spent a few moons with his friends that way, business as usual. It was the only time he felt normal, like nothing had changed. He had a purpose, and that purpose was to help Remus. It was something to focus on, to keep his mind off of his own condition. 

Any other time, he was a wreck. He tried to hide it but he knew he wasn't acting the same - how could he? And with the worried or pitying glances his friends sent him, he was reminded more and more of this fact. It got to the point where he would isolate himself on purpose, because if he was going to worry them no matter what, he at least didn't want to have to see it.

Now, though? His face was pressed to Remus' chest, and even though nothing had changed, everything was better. He didn't have to explain. Remus understood. Everything was going to be better, he was sure of it.

And he was hungry.

Sirius shot up, swallowing back the dryness in his throat. It didn't make sense. He'd been drinking all of the blood his brother sent, and it was supposed to be enough. Was it just Remus' heartbeat, hearing the blood pumping through his veins, that made him hunger? He swallowed again. Yes, that must be it. 

"Pads?" Remus murmured groggily, propping himself up on one arm. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Sirius said, though the shake in his voice betrayed this as a lie. "Just... hungry."

"I think the Great Hall's open. What time is it?" Remus asked, rubbing his eyes.

Sirius cast a quick _Tempus_ charm. "About eight in the morning," he answered. "It's Saturday, though. Breakfast shouldn't be for another hour."

Remus hummed. "Want to raid the kitchens? There's no rule against being out at eight in the morning, after all."

Sirius shook his head, though he laughed. "Nah, I'll be fine for another hour. I think I've got some Chocolate Frogs left over from the last Hogsmeade weekend - want to share?"

"Oh, Padfoot," Remus said, feigning a swoon. "You certainly know the way to any fair maiden's heart."

"It's my roguish charm," Sirius said with an exaggerated wink. The both looked at each other, then burst out laughing. 

"Try'n'a sleep," James grumbled from his own bed. 

Sirius stage-whispered, "Alas! We have disturbed the Princess! Robbed her of her slumber!"

"Another maiden?" Remus gasped, bolting upright. "I had thought myself to be your only love, Sir Knight!"

"My dear, you are the Moon in my sky," Sirius proclaimed, getting on one knee and taking hold of Remus' hand. "More beautiful by far than the stars that surround you!"

"Oh, my love!" Remus answered. 

"Come, my sweet, and let us away from this harsh tower, from the prying eyes of tired maidens, jealous of your ethereal beauty!"

Both of them were trying to hold in their laughter. James was now awake, and immensely excited. Whatever had happened last night, Sirius was being himself again. "Yes, yes," he grumbled, not wanting to ruin this. "Sod off, then, and let the rest of us have our sleep."

Sirius sauntered over to James' bed and placed a kiss to his forehead. "Weep not, my dear," he fake-sobbed. "There will always be a place in my heart for what we once had."

James threw a pillow at his face. 

***

The rest of the day was fairly normal. Real normal. Sirius finally felt normal. 

He shouldn't have been surprised, then, when everything went wrong.

Everything had been going so well. He knew, somehow, that there was going to be an issue. It was like a train wreck: there was no way he could stop it, and all he could really do was stand there and watch as it came careening towards him with the threat of ending everything.

The Marauders had planned to go into the Forbidden Forest, where they often found themselves since learning of Remus’ “furry little problem”. They had been going through, trying to plot various points on the Map, hoping to make it easier to track Remus when he changed… and then it happened.

"Prongs, you're hurt," Sirius said in a shaky voice. That hunger that he felt this morning, it was back, but so much stronger. He could smell it, Merlin, it was decadent-- No, he couldn't allow himself to-- Just a taste...

"Oh, am I?" James looked at his arm, then shrugged. "Must've scraped some thorns without noticing..." He trailed off, noting the pained expression on his best mate's face as he battled against himself. "Pads? You alright, mate?"

"Get away from me," Sirius spat through grit teeth, sounding every bit as tense and pained as he felt. 

"Padfoot--"

"James, I swear, get the fuck away from me before I..." His knees buckled slightly as he tried to back away, the mounting pain becoming unbearable, the beast within himself fighting for release. "Go!"

It wasn't a moment after that word left his lips that Sirius' glamour faded. If the situation wasn't so dire, if he was even able to think clearly, he might have appreciated the dramatics of it all. Unfortunately, Sirius Black was no longer himself. He lunged forward with a snarl, only to find his arms trapped, his body pressed against something. He was being held back. 

"Let go of me!" he all but growled, frantically thrashing against whomever held onto him. Turning his attention to the bewildered Pureblood in front of him, he started talking, not really aware that he was doing it. "James, Prongs, please. You're my friend, right? You-you don't want your old pal hurting, do you? Please, James, let me-- Fuck, just _give me your blood_ \--"

"James," said a voice, and Sirius dimly noted that it was Remus holding him, "get out of here."

"Like hell!" the stag all but yelled, not sure if he should take a step forward or back. "Sirius is-- he's in pain, isn't he? I can help--"

"Yes, please, please help!" Sirius groaned, but Remus cut him off.

"You don't understand what's going on. You're bleeding. Your blood... it frenzied him. Being here will only make things more dangerous for both of you." Remus' voice was dead serious, and the vampire only struggled more.

It only took a moment for realisation to hit him, but when it did, it hit hard. "No... you don't mean. He's not a bloody... No, Remus, you can't be serious."

"Unfortunately, I am. He's not... not himself right now."

"He's not some bloody monster, Remus! We can talk to him, help him--"

"There's no helping when he's like this, James!" Remus snapped. "What do you think it must be like for him?! It'll be easier on all of us if you just go. I'll take care of this."

"How? Can't we... bring him back?" 

"You're bloody torturing him, Prongs! Go, and I'll bring him back once we've sorted this all out."

After a long moment, and Peter's careful hand on his arm, James turned and ran in the other direction. "Both of you better come back safe, mate," he said before he ran back to the castle, Wormtail in tow.

Remus ignored them, focusing solely on Sirius, on keeping him from running after them, on keeping him safe from himself. "Sirius," he said, directly into the vampire's ear. That's what he was, now, and Remus felt like a complete idiot for not realising it sooner. The way his face had become pallid and gaunt, the way he avoided the sun and those around him, the way he'd been acting like his world had ended... Something had happened during the summer. Sirius was a vampire, now. 

The only thing Remus could feel was pity. He knew what a Change like this felt like, knew what it did to a person's life. He knew how hard it was to tell anyone, to rely on others. He understood the terror, the desperation. In a way, he even understood the hunger.

"Sirius," he said again, firmly grabbing the vampire's jaw and spinning him in his arms so they faced each other. "Look at me."

"Please," was all Sirius said back, whimpering the word like a wounded animal.

"Oh, Pads," he sighed. "Come here." He held out his arm to Sirius. "Bite me."

"Wh... no..." Sirius looked dazed, trying to fight with himself now that the blood was gone.

"When did you last feed?" Remus asked, as casually as if he was asking about homework.

"I... Thursday, I... Regulus... bottles..." Sirius mumbled, eyes out of focus. 

"The mail," Remus said, suddenly understanding. "Your brother knew. He's been sending you blood."

Sirius nodded.

"It's not enough, is it?"

Sirius shook his head.

"Bite me," Remus said again. "Please. You can't turn me, and I'll stop you if you take too much. There's no harm, so please. Drink." When he put his arm up to Sirius' mouth this time, Sirius couldn't resist. He bit down.


	7. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I managed to crank this out. It's mostly filler, I guess, but I have some stuff planned. Work is killing me, so I don't know how soon I'll be able to update. Hopefully not more than a week or two. Oh! And if anyone's been interested, I listen to AJJ pretty exclusively when I write this. This chapter was "Self Esteem". The latest chapter of In Theory was "Sense, Sensibility". Both are really good songs. Let me know in the comments if you're interested in the concept of me naming chapters by the songs I listen to while writing them. (Spoiler, they will probably all be AJJ songs)

It was bliss. Sirius had never had fresh blood in his entire unlife - and while that hadn't been long, especially compared to some, anyone would agree that it was far too long to go without a proper feeding.

He gripped Remus' arm tightly, perhaps in case his prey tried to escape. Honestly, he wasn't really in control of himself. It was as if something inside him had snapped, like some other entity had taken over his body, or perhaps his body was acting on its own and taking what it needed but hadn't been given.

Sirius vaguely felt a hand stroking his hair. He thought he heard someone murmuring things to him, but he couldn't be sure. He couldn't focus on anything but the sweet, hot blood filling his senses, painting everything red. 

He pulled away when he felt sated enough, regaining some of himself - enough to know that what he was doing was wrong, that he should stop, that he could hurt his prey -- no, not his prey, his friend. Merlin's balls, he'd bitten his friend. He drank Remus' blood. He brought up a hand to cover his mouth and recoiled when he felt the blood on his lips.

Remus, who had been watching him come down from his frenzy, gently grabbed his wrist. "It's okay," he said, though he was shaking a little bit. 

Sirius swallowed thickly. "I... I bit you."

"Better me than someone else," Remus said with a wry grin, trying to make light of the situation. 

"Better no one!" Sirius snapped. "I shouldn't... Merlin, what have I done?"

"You took care of your needs," Remus said. "Merlin knows you needed it. Vampires can't last on distilled blood only, you know."

"Of course you'd know," Sirius said drily. "Suppose you've read up on it."

"Matter of fact, I've talked to a vampire in Honeydukes," Remus answered, "and that's exactly what you should have done. Where was your... well, your sire?"

"Regulus was helping," said Sirius. "Said it'd be fine."

"Is Regulus...?"

"No. He just... knew a vampire, I guess. Had me turned."

"What on earth for!?" Remus asked in horror. 

"So I wouldn't die, I guess," Sirus shrugged evasively.

"Sirius. I'm going to ask you what we've been trying to figure out since September, what you should have told us by now, and after what just happened you owe me the answer. What in the world happened this summer?"

There was a pause, and then Sirius let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine! I suppose we've established that I've, well, I've died."

"Yes," Remus answered drily. "I do believe that we have."

"You know how my mother is?" Sirius asked nervously.

There was another pause. "You don't mean...?"

"Nasty curse. Slit my throat, I think - and it felt like hell, you know. Note to self: bleeding out is not the best way to die."

"You're rambling, Sirius. I can't believe... or maybe I can, and that's what's worse..."

"Now who's rambling?" Sirius shot back playfully, though with visible nervousness.

"I'll kill her," Remus growled. 

"No! She doesn't know! She was drunk, and... don't give me that look, I know it doesn't make it right, but Regulus Obliviated her."

Remus pinched the bridge of his nose. "Sirius Orion Black. Please. For the sake of my sanity, start this mess of a story from the beginning."

So he did.

By the end, the sun was about to rise, and Sirius looked at it fearfully. "I-I can't..."

"How have you been able to go out before?" Remus asked.

"Potions."

Remus nodded; it made sense, he supposed. "Will the Cloak be enough? Looks like James dropped it.

Sirius shook his head. "No, it's too thin. I... I don't want to burn, Moony."

Remus almost flinched at the fear in his friend's voice, but he kept himself collected. "Then we'll put my cloak over you, too. No one will see us go in, and the early sun won't touch you. We can talk about this more inside."

"Is it safe, though?" Sirius was visibly worried. "I mean, James, Peter... they could have told someone. Merlin's pants, I tried to attack James! I can't face him after this!"

"If they can accept me, they can accept you," Remus reasoned gently.

"You never tried to kill them!"

"Matter of fact, I do every month," Remus responded. "Merlin knows how many times I've almost stepped on poor Wormtail."

Sirius snapped, "I appreciate the jokes, but I'm scared out of my bloody mind."

"Where's that Gryffindor courage?" answered Remus.

There was a bit of a stand off, as they silently faced each other, Sirius glaring and Remus with arms crossed and his gaze unwavering. 

"Fine," Sirius finally answered. "But let's... let's go fast, alright? The sun is creeping up on me, and I don't like it."

"Of course," Remus said, quickly covering the both of them. "Oh, and you might want to put your glamour back up."

"What? Oh, shit!" Sirius concentrated for a moment, and then he was his old self again. "Sorry, that must have been a sight."

"He says to the man who turns into a feral wolf every month," Remus scoffed.

"Shut up," Sirius said, shoving him. Then, faltering for a moment, he asked, "You're... okay with this?"

"I'm okay with it, Pads. I would be a pretty big hypocrite if I wasn't. I am pretty upset that you didn't tell us, but I suppose that's a bit hypocritical, too."

With that, they headed back up to the castle. When they got back to the Common Room, Peter was waiting for them. "James isn't happy," he said, wincing. 

"No," Sirius sighed. "I can't imagine he would be. Are you...?"

"I don't know how I feel," Peter answered honestly. 

Sirius sighed. "Thanks for telling me so, at least. And I am sorry."

"No offence, but I'm not the one you attacked. I'd start with him."

"Yeah," Sirius said tiredly. "You're right. I'm sorry to you, too, though. I'm not... I'm not dangerous, really. I just haven't been taking care of myself like I should, I suppose. I didn't know."

"Great excuse, idiot," a voice snapped from the stairs to the boys' dorms. 

"Oh. Hullo, James," Sirius said, wincing at the tone in his (perhaps former) best friend's voice. 

"I can't fucking believe you, Black," James snapped. 

"I'm sorry," Sirius answered, swallowing thickly.

"You should be," James told him. "We were so worried, and over what? This?"

"That... was not what I was expecting you to be upset about."

James glared at him. "You are my friend. All three of us agree that you are our bloody friend. But apparently you don't feel the same way, because you don't care enough to tell us that you've fucking died!"

"It's not like that--"

"Really? Then what's it like? Please, I'd just love to hear this!"

"I was scared!" Sirius whispered fiercely. Remus cast a silencing bubble around the four of them in case anyone else came down (not that they should, at this time of night, but it was important to make sure with something like this). 

"You were scared!? What about us? We didn't know what the hell was wrong with you, and you didn't let us help you!"

"I'm SORRY!" Sirius shouted. "Look, I'm bloody sorry! You don't know what it's like. I didn't want to let anyone know because I haven't accepted this yet, myself. I'm fucking dead, Prongs! Maybe you don't understand because your parents bloody love you but my mother cursed me to death this summer and instead of letting me die my brother had to make me like this! And this has been almost as hard on him as it is on me, I can see it, and I didn't want to do that to any of you!"

James clenched his jaw. "I'm sorry, too," he said. "I just... can't be around you right now. I need time." He shook his head. "I just need time," he repeated, and went up the stairs to their dorm.

"Well," Sirius said, after a while. "That was better than I expected, I suppose." Remus put a comforting hand on his shoulder.


	8. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry. It's been months, I know. A lot has gotten in the way, and then when I had a moment, I thought about writing LazyTown fic, and told myself I had to get something up for my existing works first. Hope you enjoy, and sorry for the wait!

Things were a bit awkward, for a while. Sirius expected that. It was as though the group had split in half - not out of malice from either side, but a mutual understanding. Remus understood Sirius' situation. He had hid his condition because it was all he knew, what he thought was best. It wasn't the same, and Sirius should have known that they would have supported him, but... Well, it was easier said than done, that trust, and adjusting after such a Change was never easy for anyone. Remus understood.

Peter, on the other hand, knew where James was coming from. They both felt lied to. Neither was upset that Sirius was a vampire, but that he didn't trust them enough to tell them, that he'd let them worry about him like this, that he hadn't let them help. His attacking James was not the problem, but the fact that it could have been avoided.

They stayed in this odd, fractured dynamic for what felt like years, but had only been about a week, before Sirius went to Regulus.

"You don't need to give me your... blood, anymore," he said, gaze on the floor between his brother's feet. 

"Hello to you too," Regulus said wryly. "And why, pray tell, would that be?"

Sirius fidgeted. "I... I..." The words would not come out. "I found another source," he said instead.

Regulus crossed his arms. "Sirius, what are you not telling me?" It sounded more like a command than a question, and Sirius flinched, ever so slightly.

"I think," he said slowly, "that I need help explaining. This is not... easy for me. And not entirely _about_ me. Meet me after dinner, yeah?" He didn't wait for a response, turning on his heel and all but running back to his Common Room.

"Sirius!" Regulus called after him, but he was already gone.

***

After dinner, Regulus waited in an alcove he knew no one would be in. He hadn't bothered telling Sirius; the damned man always seemed to know where he was somehow, no matter whether he told him or not. He sat back on his heels, pulling out a book, and pretended that he was just reading, but kept alert. 

Sure enough, he heard footsteps. He snapped his book shut and stood, seeing Sirius round the corner... with his friend Remus. Well.

"Reg," Sirius said, all fake cheer. "You know Moony here, yeah?"

"I've had the pleasure," Regulus said drily, eyes flicking to the other boy, who was already putting up a silencing bubble. Smart. _Five points to Gryffindor,_ Regulus thought wryly. 

They all looked at each other for a moment.

Regulus noticed a bandage on Remus' arm.

Everything clicked into place at once.

"You _idiot!_ " he hissed, grabbing the front of his brother's robes. "Complete and utter fucking moron!" 

"I guess no explanation is necessary?" Sirius said, and damn him, damn his calm, damn his jokes, this was a serious, serious thing!

"No, I think a _significant_ amount of explanation is in order! I told you, I _told_ you not to _bite_ anyone!" He let go of his brother and looked Remus over critically, but he seemed not to have changed since their last encounter. "You're lucky you didn't turn him, you complete arse!"

Remus, for his part, actually chuckled. Regulus could not believe the downward spiral his life had found itself in; it was as if everyone was going mad.

"I can guarantee that he could never turn me," Remus said. "Really, there's no risk with this arrangement." When Regulus opened his mouth to argue, the damnable Gryffindor said, "I don't think a vampire could actually turn a werewolf, after all."

Regulus recoiled as if he'd been stung. That was... that was information he hadn't had. If he thought about it, he wasn't surprised - with a nickname like Moony, and his disappearances during the full moon, and the way his brother had embraced his own Change better than he'd thought possible... he could see it. "That is... news I did not have," he said slowly.

"And it's news you will not share," Sirius said, threateningly. Possessively. Oh, no.

"I'll swear an Oath if you want me to," he answered, still paying attention to the werewolf boy, "since I know you wouldn't just trust my word."

He did swear an Oath, which would render him physically unable to tell anyone, unless he was unbound from the terms by those he made the Oath with. 

"Now that we have these... revelations... out of the way, I'd like to tell you once more what an absolute sodding _idiot_ you are!"

"But we just established--"

"That you can't turn him, and he's strong enough to stop you if he has to, yes. But you... bit him. And that could present a problem."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "And that would be?"

Regulus sighed, almost having forgotten about Remus' presence. "It's not easy to explain. And I want to be wrong. And I don't... know how to say it." Turning back to Sirius, he asked, "Have you been reading that book?"

"Whenever time permits," Sirius said, brow furrowing. "James almost caught me once, and my course load is almost worse than death."

Regulus sighed. "Tell me when you get to Chapter Thirteen."


End file.
